The Man Behind the Art of the Black Panther Party

Emory Douglas was one of two African American students in his graphic design classes at San Francisco City College. It was there that he became involved in political activism, and by the late 1960s he was serving as the Revolutionary Artist and Minister of Culture for the Black Panther Party. The production company Dress Code used archival footage and conversations with Douglas to share his story alongside the rise and fall of the Panthers. "My art is about enlightening and informing people about issues," he says in the film. "We were creating the culture—the culture of resistance, the culture of defiance, the culture of self-determination."

We want to hear what you think about this article. Submit a letter to the editor or write to letters@theatlantic.com.